2020 Grant Recipients

2020 Decentralization Grant Recipients

Below is the list of NYSCA Decentralization grant recipients and a description of their projects! Go to the Art Council's Regional Events Calendar under the category "DEC funded events" for more information on the date, time, and location.

Arts Education

Melissa Harrison will help elementary students realize one person's trash is another person's treasure. In her project titled 'Trash Reimagined into Musical Treasure' she'll help students realize the full potential of recycled materials in music making including a performance featuring the group Bash the Trash from New York City.

Catherine Panebianco will lead a writing and photography project, 'Dream A Little Dream' geared toward middle schoolers in the Jamestown School District. Students will meet after school throughout the spring of 2020 to create representations of their dreams, fantasies, and desires through writing and photography.

Sally Ventura is organizing a dynamic workshop series encouraging high school students to find their voices as writers. She'll be employing the help of renowned writers and poets Craig Czury, Hugh Martin, and Jayson Greene to provide critical learning experiences for students.

Individual Artist

Photographer and digital artist, Laura Cole, will be taking Olean back on a visual journey. She'll be using old postcards (postals) postmarked from Olean, NY in the years 1901-1914 to create surreal, digital photo collages transporting the viewer back to Edwardian Era Olean. Her work will culminate in an exhibition held in December 2020 at the Olean Public Library.

Audrey Dowling, an accomplished Chautauqua County artist will put her ceramic skills to good use creating a permanent public installation in the entryway of the Patterson Library in Westfield, NY designed to showcase the birds of the region. Her work will be unveiled in October 2020 during Bird Fest.

Fiber artist, Kari Roslund, will create 20" squared felted landscapes depicting four distinct locations within Cattaraugus County during the four seasons. She'll be exploring natural, hand dying using locally sourced raw natural fibers and plant materials within Cattaraugus County. Her work will be displayed at We Invite Local Manufacturer and Artisan (WILMA) event at the Cattaraugus Co. fairgrounds in October 2020. She will also be giving an artist lecture in conjunction with a display at St. Bonaventure University's Quick Center for the Arts.

Community Arts

The African American Center Cultural for Development will produce their annual Juneteenth celebration on June 27, 2020 at Bethany Lutheran Church in Olean. The theme is “Our Story Told in the Oral Tradition,” and artists and presenters will include Annette Daniels Taylor, an award-winning playwright, poet and artist-filmmaker, Reverend Wesley Gilbert, Pastor Tyrone Hall, and Jarrad Childs. The project seeks to express understanding of community and history through storytelling, song, dance, music and traditional 'soul food'.

Allegany Arts Association Collaborative Arts Program uses their grant funding to produce free or low cost art classes for children and adults in Allegany County by collaborating with local libraries, art centers, churches, schools and recreational centers to host classes and events provided by regional artists and performers.

American Scandinavian Heritage Foundation will be presenting Scandinavian folk dance and music at the 2020 Scandinavian Folk Festival on July 17, 18, 19.

Angelica Community Radio is presenting Shake on the Lake’s 2020 touring production of Shakespeare’s “Othello” at the Angelica Park Circle, performed free for the local audience.

Angelica Free Library will offer a four-week workshop exploring different art mediums, including sketching & drawing with graphite, painting with acrylics, mono printing, and colored pencil.

Belfast Public Library will hold their 21st annual Lawn Concert Series in the Belfast Town Park on 5 evenings in August 2020. This year's offerings will feature performances and activities that celebrate their summer reading program and diversity in music and art. Musical genres are set to include everything from Scottish fiddle to Venezuelan inspired musical offerings.

Citizens for a Better Cassadaga will feature local musicians in the Cassadaga Lakes Summer Concert Series which takes place on a floating stage at Cassadaga Beach.

Cuba Circulating Library will offer arts programming based on the theme, “Imagine Your Story Through Art” - music and puppet performances as well as art including basketry, braided rugs, fiber art, and even sea glass macrame will be offered.

David A. Howe Public Library will present 10 interesting and culturally significant performances in the Nancy Howe Auditorium. From a variety of musicians to Bollywood dance and a one man show, featuring the talented Mike Randall, acting as more than 25 characters from Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. A year of dynamic and exciting programming to be sure!

The Fluvanna Public Library will present programming for both children and adults during the course of their summer reading program; featuring opportunities for creative writing, and a musical performance.

Fountain Art Center’s program “Artists Among Us” is a revolving art program that uses traditional and non-traditional venues throughout Allegany County to bring the work of qualified artists and themed art exhibits to the public by establishing host sites, and coaching artists in individual or workshop settings, on how to present their work professionally, prepare exhibit packages and artist statements, and maximize their exposure by sharing their work in a lecture, workshop or classroom format.

Gowanda Historic Hollywood Theater received DEC grants for their two summer theater camps. Music and Me is a one-week camp for children ages 3-5, and Hollywood Theater Camp is a one-week Broadway Jr. camp for youth.

Great Lake FX will use funds for an art enrichment program, “Birds and Blooms,” in which 15 students will explore the shores of Lake Erie as well as local fields and streams in search of native birds and flowers for the purpose of researching and creating artistic expressions to be displayed in a series of art exhibitions.

Jamestown Concert Association, as part of their “Name Dropping” season, will present three concerts during the spring of 2020: rising baritone virtuoso from South Korea, Suchan Kim, chamber musician, Fabio Menchetti, and Mirari Brass Quintet

Keynote Chorus will produce spring and December concerts to perform at various venues in Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties.

Leon Historical Society will offer classes on Amish Folk Art, the history of American and Amish quilting while making a variety of traditional quilt pattern blocks with Amish women.

Olean Meditation Center is set to offer a nine part series exploring the diversity of 'Soulful Expressions' of art through dance, music, drama, film, and visual arts. Artists showcased in these programs are both of local and national renowned.

Olean Theatre Workshop will present a series of performances and cultural activities presented to the community in Historic Oak Hill Park, including a theatrical presentation of Shakespeare in the Park.

Patterson Library will present adult art education classes as part of their Art Escapes programming. The classes will be digital photography, cut paper sculptures, plein air painting, block printing, and Christmas crafts.

Randolph Area Community Development Corporation will present a First Friday summer music series held in the Triangle Park in downtown Randolph. The programming will offer a variety of musicians on the first Friday of each month from May through September.

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute will present two progressive skill workshops focused on drawing and painting directed at adult students. Students will use Dr. Roger Tory Peterson’s artwork to inspire and teach about his style of work and each workshop series will culminate in a public reception and month long exhibition.

Rolling Hills Radio uses funds to bring well-known grassroots Americana music performances to Jamestown. The program is recorded in front of a live-audience.

Southern Tier Symphony funding supports musician fees and concert production costs for five performances across their 17th and 18th seasons.

Town Theatre of Short Tract will produce a community musical production in the summer of 2020 at the Fillmore School auditorium.

The Tri-Church Parish will present two 10 week sessions, one spring and one fall session of free weekly art classes for adults and teens in the rural community of Brocton.

Wide Awake Club Library will present a free eight-part summer concert series on consecutive Wednesdays from July 8 through August 26, 2020, at the Fillmore Park Pavilion.

For more information about the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) visit their website here

The grant programs at the Tri-County Arts Council are made possible with funding by the New York State Council on the Arts with support from Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.